Manhole cover remover



July 6, 1937. l

F. E. JACKSONA MANHOLE COVER REMOVER Filed Dec. 15, 1936 IN .g4 7? .Bj dldl'vldnedE. Jac/raaf;

Patented July 6, 1937 teens UNITE STATES PATENT omer MaNHoLn covEa REMovEa Francis E. Jackson, deceased, late of Los Angeles,

Calif., by Mildred E. Jackson, administratrix,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 15, 1936, SerialNo. 116,032

9 Claims. (Cl. 214-655) lifted and transported, all of which only requires the service of one Workman.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of gripping members on the cart wherein at least one of these gripping members is adjustable to accommodate the clamping of covers of varying sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide one of the gripping members with one or more claws that may be trained, by prying action in manipulating the cart, into gripping relation with the cover.

The present invention is distinguished from trucks and barrows constructed on the principle of a cart because in these devices it is not necessary to retain the articles carried thereby in clamped relation. Such devices are operated with the burden or articles resting on the frame or platform and do not require any clamping action. In the present invention the gripping members are adapted to clamp to the object and carry it suspended below the frame or handle.

The present inventionA is also distinguished from that character of previous inventions where provision is made on the cart to hook to and drag the object on the surface of the ground or oor `by perambulating with the cart. In applicants invention the object is not dragged but lifted bodily frrom countersunk relation and transported on the cart out of contact with the ground or floor.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will appear inthe following description and drawing, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it is to be understood that changes, modifications and variations of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe invention in the appended claims. Y

' In the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a manhole showing in side elevation the device of the present invention clamped to the cover ready to lift and transport the cover.

Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofthe device detached from the cover. y

The invention. comprehends at least two gripping members A and B mounted in opposed relation on a manually operated cart. The cart consists of a frame or handle C connected at one end, in a manner to presently appear, to rock Von the truck, running gear, or two-wheeled support D.l

The truck D is constructed with a straight, round, steel rod 6 which serves as yan axle. On each end of the axle is journalled a wheel ork roller 'I held in place lon the outside by a Cotter pin 8. There is one collar 9 for Veach'wheel mounted on the axle` 6 and these collars prevent the Wheels from wabbling. VIt Will be noted that Vthe axle 6 is of suiiicient length to provide a stable truck that has the maximum stability, while the cart is'being manipulated; andalso a considerable free part between the wheels to furnish ample'space to attach one end of the frame orhandle C. y

The frame or handle C is straight and is constructed` of a pair of tubular pipe sections, the outer section I0 ofwhich telescopes into the end' of inner sectionV I I This construction provides a single handle or frame which may be extended Aor contracted to any desired length limited by the lengthof the inner section acting as a socket for the outer section. The two sections may be locked together in adjusted positionrby the set kscrew I2 engaging in a threaded opening I3 Vthe diametrically opposite wallsI and the axle rod extends through these openings..A A set screw I5 carried bysection II locks'the handle C on the f axle6 preferablyinthe center. Section II has av snug sliding lit on axle 6. Whenthe section II is locked to the axlethe handle rocks on the axle of the truck, wheeled Vsupport;orrunnirig gear D as a centerto lowerV the gripping members to clamp the cover, and raise the cover above 2f ,i Y Y handle section I I next to the axle 6, and to which the center of a crown I'I of` an integral yoke is secured Vpreferably by welding.A rI'his crown extends at right angles to the sleeveand likewise to the handle C. The legs'l ofYV the yoke or side, will be suspended below the"V handle. Above the'bends in the legs, the ends of the angu- Y lar cross brace are secured vpreferablyby welding, and the vertex of the brace is connected, preferably by welding, toV a rear portion of the sleeve l in spaced relation to the crown I 1 Y Y v In some applications ofthe gripping member not be necessary to use a pairY of Yclaws I9.` Where one point orV gripping contact provided ',sui-

' the center of the crown Il of the yoke, preferably by welding. The anchored leg of the claw 2|V extends at right anglesto the crown. sleeve I i5 is slidable'and rotatable on sectionV II the sleeve may be rotated 180 degrees from the position where theV pair ofY claws are used as Y shown in the drawings, Aand the Vsingle claw 2| is in position to be used in the. depending relation.l vThe single clawZI ispositioned between the claws I9-I9 and in line with the axis of the, handle C*l The sleeve I'is lockedtohandle section I! by a set screwr22 extending through/'and threadably mountedA onA the VAsleeve and. bearing on the periphery of this section.

The outer Ygripping member B also has a sleeve carriage-23 which slides on the outer Vportion of handle section II in end to end relation with re'- spect to -sleeve i6. The center of a cross bar 24 is anchored tothe rear periphery ofthe Vsleeve preferably by welding. Cross bar 24 extends diametrically of sleeve 23 and handle C, and Yon each end is formed with a reduced trunnion 25 on which freely swings theshanks of comple-f mentary hooks 2S, one on each side of the handle.

The shanks of the hooks are detachably held on the trunnions by cotter pins 2l. The sleeve 23 which is mounted on the inner portion of Ythe sleeve. Thehooksare outset relative to the claws I9I9 which they confront. Such construction provides proper balance in the objects to be lifted because the grippingYV contact is spaced .at .wider points at the highest end `of the'handle when* the cart is being wheeled bythe Workman. In event` the single Aclaw w2I is Yiiseduit will-beseen that the single point orl contactison thecenter line between the hooks makinga-well balanced tion of each hook 2e is an upstanding lip ,29- which underlaps the Vinner corner oft title cover being lifted. I t will also be noted that the bights of the hooks 26 are considerablyV below handle C, so that thel cover or objectgsuspended will be carriedrunder the handle. z 1 l VA manhole Seis shown in the earth V3 I YIn the regulation construction a cast iron ring Y32 is imbedded in theY bituminous or concrete road surface of the earth. The top of the ring is flush with. thesurface.` About theY inner periphery of this ringis a right angled shoulder 33 on which f cover 34 rests.

Since Vposition to anangle to the horizontal. Vhandle atan angle the cart may be pushed, pulled, Yor, turned by a single workman with the cover manhole and cover therefor, other congurations lin the nature of a polygonal cover may be lifted VVVand transportedby the handling device of the presentV invention.: It will be Vnoted that the cover sets in the ring flush with the' surface sur- While there isjshown a round rounding the manhole. YIn the regulation covers the other pair. VIn such an arrangement of notches, the claws IS of gripping member A are trained into the adjacent pair of notches 35, after locking sleeve I6 at the desired position on handle C. By rocking the handle C inter- A to the cover to be lifted and transported it may Y Then the bight of hooks 26 are trained throughVw the pair of notches 3S, with the sleeve 23 being loose onthe handle C. When the lips 29 seat in gripping relation underlapping against the corner of the coverabo-ut the notches 36, theV sleeve 23 is moved to a position where a substan- `Vtially radial pull is exerted toward the center. Y of the cover as shown in Fig.- l, at whichpoint the sleeve is locked to the handle by the set screw 28.

The vradial pull retains the Ycover in seated .e

balanced position well up the incline of theV claws Where only one notchsimilar toma notch ofthe pairs of notches is used on one side only of the Yand prevents the cover from sliding off the claws. 35

cover instead of the pair of notches 35, .then the Y sleeve le of gripping member kA is loosened, and Y turned vdegrees from the position shown in thedrawing. Sleeve I6 is then locked with the' single claw 2i turned todepending relation to the handle, and the claw is forced into the single notch by action similar to that described in connection with seatingv the pair of clawsIS-IS.

Then the hooks 26 are seated in, the pair of notches in the manner heretofore described.

With the gripping Vmembers A, B clamped on the opposed sides of the'c'over as heretofore described and shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer section Iof the handle C iszgripped in the hands of thev workmanand raised from a horizontal clamped rmly in position. Itwill thus be seen that` the cover may be raised and transported from its seated position on the ring of the manhole without the necessity of Vemploying any other tools than is already aorded by the unique construc- Y with the edgecomprising a frame connected with the truck,

a plurality of gripping members mounted on the `frame,` one of said Vmembers being adjustably connected'to the frame to move relative to another, and means on each gripping member engageable with certain of thenotches inthe cover, when itis in position, to clamp the cover between the gripping members.

2. A wheeled truck adapted for the removal of a manholeV cover Whenetted ,ush with respect `the cover to clamp the cover between the gripping members.

3. A wheeled truck adapted for the removal of a manhole cover adapted to be tted ush with the surrounding surface and having peripheral notches certain of which are opposed to one another, comprising a single handle connected at `one end to the truck, opposed gripping members carried by the handle between the free end andA the truck, one of said gripping members being adjustably connected to the handle so as to move relative to the other, and means carried by each gripping member engageable one With a correspending notch in the certain opposed notches to clamp the cover between the gripping members. 4. A wheeled truck adapted for the removal of a manhole cover for manholes wherein the cover is iitted flush with the surrounding surface, comprising a support, a frame rockably connected at one end to the support, at least two gripping members carried by the frame in spaced relation to each other to clamp spaced parts of the cover between them, and one of said gripping members being adjustably connected to the frame to move relative to the other.

5. A wheeled truck adapted for the removal of a manhole cover for manholes wherein the cover is iitted flush with the surrounding surface, comprising a support, a frame rockably connected at one end to the support, at least two gripping members carried by the frame in spaced relation to each other to clamp spaced parts of the cover between them, one of said gripping members being adjustably connected to the frame to move relative to the other, a rigid claw carried by one gripping member, and a swinging hook carried by the other gripping member.

6. A wheeled truck adapted for the removal of a manhole cover fitted iiush with respect to the surrounding surface and having notches in its edge certain of which are opposed to one another, comprising a frame connected at one end With the truck, opposed gripping members carried by the frame between the free end andthe truck, one of said members being adjustably connected to the frame to move relative to the other, means on each gripping member engageable one with aV i corresponding notch ofl the certainV opposedl notches in the cover to clamp the cover between the gripping members, the said means on one gripping member composed of a rigid claw, and the said means on ythe other gripping member l comprising a pair kof'freely swingable hooks.v

7. A wheeled truckhaving anaxle andwheels journaled on each'end of the axle adapted for the removal of a manhole 'cover adapted to be Y tted flush with the surrounding surface and having peripheral notches certain of which'are opposed to one another, comprising a handle` connected at one end to the axle .of the truck to rock therewith, opposed gripping members carried by the handle between'the free end and the truck, one of saidA gripping members being adjustably connected to the handle so as to move relative to the other, means carried by each gripping A,memberrengageable one with a corresponding notch in certain opposed notches. toclamp the cover between the gripping members, the said means on one grip-ping member composed of a rigid claw, and the said means on the other gripping mem,-

ber comprising a pair of swingable hooks one on each sidevof the handle. i

8. A handling device comprising a truck including an axle having a wheel journaledon each end, an extensible handle connected at one end to the axle, a pair of sleeves slidable on the han-y dle, a set screw on each sleeve coacting with the handle to lock the sleeves in any desired position,

a rigid claw carried by one sleeve, a cross bar. connected at its center to the other sleeve and extending on each side of the handle, and a hoek swingable on each end of the cross bar one onY set screw on each sleeve coacting with the handle.

to lock the sleeves in any desired position, a rigid claw carried by one sleeve, a cross bar-connectedY v at its center tothe other sleeve and extending on `each side or the handle, and a hook swlngable on each end of the cross bar one on each side of the handle. y f

MILDRED E. JACKSON,

Admim'stratri of the Estate of Francis E. Jack--l son, Deceased. 

